Of Friends, Fires, and Fortune Cookies
by Rune-Spirit
Summary: WarrenxMagentaxLash, WillxLayla Lash fights to win Magenta over while Warren struggles with his newfound jealousy and Maj grapples with the confusion of having two crushes and the sensation of two boys competing to win her affection.
1. Prologue & Girl Shy

RS: Okay, so I started this a while ago and, now that I have a bunch of the chapters written, I've decided to start posting. It's a LashxMagentaxWarren story, cuz those were the 3 coolest characters in the movie. This chappy's kinda fast moving n' a little choppy, but it should get better. I'll probably smooth it out and add a few more details.

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**Prologue**

Why do _I_ have to do the prologue? Ugh, whatever. Pay attention because I am _not_ repeating. Here's the stupid 'event timeline' or what ever dumb name it has:

School started September 6, and by September 31 we'd defeated Royal Pain. You already know the story so don't bug me for any details. For you losers thinking 'it took longer than a month' no, it didn't. I was there, you weren't. Who's right in this situation?

Lash, Speed, and Penny got off the hook for trying to destroy the school, thanks to some good lawyers. They pleaded blackmail or something like that. Gwen sort of did too, but is required to wear some kind of bracelet that neutralizes her powers. They all ended up with one minor consequence: being bumped down to sophomores. I almost pity Warren for being stuck with them. (1) Principal Powers didn't think it would be safe for the four of them to be in the same grade as most of us, but she also didn't want to only bring them back to Junior. So, Sophomore it was.

While Layla and a scant few other students were bumped up to hero class, most of us stayed sidekicks. Apparently even though we'd all worked together to save the school without any real heroes (save Will and Warren) we couldn't have done it on our own and 'cannot be classified in a way that would suggest such advanced abilities', or so Principal Powers said. Go flippin' figure.

Zach and me only lasted 2 weeks. And no, I'm not telling you why.

Warren and 'the ice princess', as we all like to call her, had broken up by October 21. For you mentally challenged people, that's a week after me n' glow boy called it quits. She and hot head argued 24/7, being polar opposites. Anyway, it was about time, do you have any idea how annoying it is to hear _that_ much yelling? The break-up got Warren all sour for a while, seeing as he has one emotion: angry. Four days later I finally slapped him back into reality, literally.

So, it's been about 3 weeks since then and that's all there is to tell. Now beat it, I have to write an entire essay on freeze rays for mad science lab. Ugh, Medulla is _such_ a slave driver.

High school is _so_ stupid.

**Of Friends, Fires, and Fortune Cookies **

**Chapter 1  
Girl Shy**

"Good morning, Maj." Layla chirped happily as she plopped down next to her friend. She was always a morning person and had been especially peppy since she'd discovered the secret to making lemons: pucker. Will moved to sit beside Zach, who happily reported that he gained the ability to not only adjust the amount of light he gave off, but could also glow bright enough to be seen during the day.

The punk girl only glared in response. Her friends shot her a weary look but brushed it off, figuring it was just her time of the month.

'_She's been like that a lot lately.'_ mused Layla, who was watching the shape shifter from the corner of her eye. None of the bus's occupants even twitched as the bus buckled them in and took off, everyone was used to it.

Magenta had never acted that way before, not even when she and Zach had broken up. They'd called it quits about two weeks after starting to go out, far too different to make things work out. Maj had just found Zach too insufferably stupid, enough said, while Zach found Maj to be far too out of control. As it turned out, he had more of a taste for orderliness.

Things had been uncomfortable for an entire week, but after that things cooled down. Or it had, until Warren broke up with his girlfriend the next day. After that he'd begun snapping at anyone and his friends put up with it, until Magenta finally snapped and straightened him out.

_**Flashback**_

_Scurrying through the hall, a red haired girl rushed to her next class. She was going to be late for 'Save the Citizen', and she didn't want to miss watching her boyfriend beat the school bullies again._

_Suddenly, she collided with something hard and fell to the ground. Looking up, she gazed upon her newfound friend and smiled._

"_Sorry, didn't see you there." the freshman breathed, still out of breath from rushing, The boy only glared; causing her grin to falter, then fade._

"_Watch where you're going, hippie." He snarled in anger. The redhead frowned._

"_I didn't mean to-" She attempted unsurely, gathering the books around her and standing up._

"_Well you did."_

"_I-I… I-"_

"_You what? Just get out of my way!" Normally this particular hero had more of a backbone, but she didn't want to fight her friend and knew he was just upset. So, instead of retorting, she just ran off to her next class._

_The boy turned, slamming his locker loudly. A figure came into view out of the corner of his eye, previously being blocked by the locker door._

"_She said she was sorry." The girl hissed. Turning, the pyro-kinetic glowered at his friend._

"_Yeah, what's it to you?" he growled. The shape-shifter glared fiercely._

"_You've been a real jerk, Warren. Ever since you and the ice princess broke up you've been-"_

"_My personal business is none of your concern!" he roared advancing on the girl. They were less than a foot from one another, staring angrily into each other's eyes._

_Rather than being intimidated, she yelled to match him, "You've been taking out all your stupid anger on us and-"_

"_Shut up!" his arms burst into flames, heating the girl's skin instantly. The punk almost backed down, the fire's intensity hurting her eyes and burning at her skin, but instead acted on instinct. Pulling back her arm, a dull thump echoed through the hall as her fist collided with her friend's cheek._

_The boy recoiled in shock and extinguished himself, "Maj-"_

_She cut him off, "Peace, shut up and let me talk. We are all sick and tired of your attitude. You've been a bully, you're acting mean, you just snapped at Layla… We're in high school, Warren; girlfriends will come and go. But if you're going to be this irritating every time a girl dumps you then maybe you should go find some new friends."_

"… _Maj-"_

"_Whatever." On that final note she turned to walk away, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her._

"_Let's get to the roof, we'll get a week's worth of detention if we're caught skipping class."_

_The two slipped away and did just that, but were caught nonetheless. People noticed he wasn't there to help Will win 'Save the Citizen'. But by lunch, Warren Peace was fully back to normal._

_**End Flashback**_

The bus landed with a jolt, causing Ethan to be snapped in the face as his seatbelt unhooked itself. He rubbed his nose gingerly as the doors to the bus opened. The students began exiting the bus.

"Isn't it great," Layla smiled, deciding it was a perfect time to start up a conversation, "how everyone's powers are evolving?

"Whatever." Magenta growled, pushing past the future ecologist and rushing into the school.

"Man, what's her problem?" Ethan wondered as the group sat down beside Warren.

"Whose?" the loner inquired, not lifting his head from the book he was reading.

"Magenta's, she's been cranky all week." Layla clarified, watching her friend's retreating figure as it entered the doors.

"I thought yesterday at lunch you said it was just CMS and her comma was coming." Zach asked dumbly, refraining from the use of tact. Warren stiffened, fully aware of what he meant and shifted with the thought of it. The last thing he needed to focus on was the goings on of one of his only female friends' nether regions.

"Period, Zach, not comma." The girl corrected, "And it's _P_MS. Anyway, now I'm starting to think it's something more-"

"Is Peace _blushing_?" a voice interrupted. A lanky boy in a black and white striped shirt appeared behind them as his pudgy counterpart swirled around before stopping before them.

"No." the boy in question growled, softly closing his book. The two bullies grinned.

"Aw, Warren Peace is girl-shy!" Lash proceeded to tease, "Isn't that adorable?"

"Oh, so cute." Agreed Speed.

"_I_ wouldn't mind talking about her body, though." Continued the tall one, "She's pretty cute, don't ya think Peace?" Warren's face hardened in contrast to the shade of his cheeks which matched the girl in question's name.

"Ha, look at 'im!" cackled the chunky bruiser.

"She may even be worth some of my time."

"Leave her alone!" Layla demanded as the five students stood to meet the bullies.

Lash looked down at her and opened his mouth to retort, but Will pulled the girl behind him defensively, stating: "Same goes for Layla."

The newly-made-sophomore rolled his eyes, "I'm not interested in you're hippy girlfriend, stronghold." He turned to Warren, "You can tell your friend I'll be looking for her." On that final note, the two bullies took their leave.

Warren slammed back down to where he was sitting, cheeks now flushed in anger rather than embarrassment.

'_It's not like I liker her or anything,'_ he reasoned in his head, defending the sudden wave of protectiveness, _'I just don't like the thought of that asshole touching her.'_

Layla sat beside him unsurely, "I'm sure Lash was just pulling your chain. Let's just forget this ever happened. Besides," she continued as everyone agreed with her idea, "it's time for class."

The group got up and left for class without giving the event a second thought. Though, in the deepest corners of his mind, Warren secretly questioned Layla's logic.

**End of Chapter**

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(1) I made Warren a sophomore because their ages didn't make sense: Will was 14, Magenta and Layla were 15, and Warren was 16, which isn't exactly a freshman age. Technically he should be a junior or senior, but I didn't want him to be too much older. (For those who think that's too high a grade, consider this: people who haven't skipped a grade or been held back graduate high school at 17 or 18, and most turn a year older during the school year which means a 17 year old probably started out 16.)

RS: Attention all Magenta fans: she WILL have a bigger part. Her character just wasn't needed for this chapter (save for the flashback bit). Anyway, leave a review!


	2. Bathroom Blowout

RS: Hey guys, I'm back with chapter 2, so let's get this show on the road!

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**Chapter 2**

**Bathroom Blowout**

The day went by relatively uneventfully. Classes passed slowly and with much difficulty, as was the custom, and pretty soon lunch had rolled around. The group of friends were sitting at their usual place, having adopted Warren's old 'tough guy table', and were laughing, joking, and having an all-around good time, save Warren who was his usually quiet self, only smirking occasionally at something hilarious, and Magenta who was still in a bad mood.

"… so then my mom goes: 'Well, why don't you just cut off the problem?' and the penguin's just like 'Ouch.'." The table erupted into laughter at Layla's story, earning a few looks from the closer tables. Usually they were louder, but with one less person at least chuckling the sound seemed to mellow out. Magenta stood up.

"Hey Maj, where ya goin'?" asked Will.

"To the bathroom." She stated bluntly, as if it was the most unintelligent question she'd ever heard. Warren choked on a blush, reminded of their earlier escapade.

"Oh…" he answered embarrassedly, "Erm… hurry back…" he earned a handful of strange looks from his friends as she walked away. "Well what was I supposed to say?"

Layla just rolled her eyes and went back to her lunch while Ethan shook his head.

"Idiot." He muttered under his breath. A minute passed before Warren suddenly stood.

"Hey Warren, where ya goin'?" asked Will.

The pyrokinetic turned to him, "Are you serious?" the boy looked down sheepishly.

"I have _got_ to stop doing that…" turning, his older friend walked out of the cafeteria. A few of the other students' eyes lingered on him, but he was used to such occurrences. Not only was he the resident bad boy with oddly mixed parentage, but he had also helped save the school. That made him local celebrity, after all.

Pushing the door to the Men's room open, Warren stepped inside. Walking over to one of the sinks, he put his hands on either side. Hanging his head so the black hair formed a curtain around his face, red streaks showing more than ever, he stared at the mirror, directly into his own eyes. The hero took a deep, ragged breath.

The original plan hadn't been to come into the bathroom at all; he'd merely meant to warn Magenta about Lash. Despite what Layla said about it being a hoax, he still couldn't shake the feeling that the super stretcher wasn't one to be trusted. He still felt that the boy had been serious. Something was nagging at him from inside, telling him to warn his friend. Yet the other, more logical side, fought that his enemy was just trying to get him riled up and that it was nothing to worry about. But he couldn't stop worrying, and he doubted he ever would. He just couldn't bring himself to say anything to her, in fear of being thought silly or stupid. He hated the idea of sounding so foolish.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here." Warren spun around, coming face to face with Speed.

He surveyed the room, thinking, _'Wherever one idiot is the other can't be far behind.' _True to his thoughts, Lash's arm had suddenly found it's way around Warren's shoulder.

"Why," he grinned, "if it isn't Warren Peace. How long's it been? 15, 20 minutes?" he yelped, jerking his hand away as Warren's arms lit up on fire. The sophomore extinguished himself as soon as Lash let go.

"Cool it, Peace," warned the bully, "you _don't_ want to get on our bad side."

"'Cause last time you beat me so horribly." Warren spat back sarcastically. The two other boys snarled in anger.

"You haven't got your little friends to help protect you now, Peace, so you'd better watch what you say. You can't take both of us. Besides," Speed added, grinning like a mad man, "Principal Powers'll probably boot you straight outta here if you set one more thing on fire."

Warren could only growl in response before the pudgy boy continued, "You know, speaking of little friends, didn't gerbil girl just walk into the bathroom across the hall? I believe I know someone who's been looking for her, haven't you Lash?" the lanky one nodded with a smirk and headed towards the door, fully aware that the pyrokinetic would stop him.

"What is with your sudden obsession with her?" Warren demanded, stepping into Lash's way. Although he was one of the tallest students at Sky High, the fire thrower seemed almost dwarfed by the gangly boy before him, his lean form towering over his own muscular one.

"I wouldn't call it an obsession, merely an interest. You've been interested in a girl before, haven't you Peace? Oh," his hands went over his mouth in mocking, "now I get it. You're to busy makin' eyes at Stronghold to notice!" Warren saw red.

"WHY YOU-"

"Is there a problem here, _gentlemen_?" he swung around, coming face to face with the teacher.

"No," Speed grinned with a faux saccharine sweetness, "Coach Boomer, no problem. Us n' Peace were just gettin' to know each other a bit more for, uh, friendly purposes. Right Lash?"

"Right." His friend grinned, running a hand through his 80's reject hairstyle.

"Well this is a school facility, not a social club. So, get going." They were still for only a second before he continued, "I said MMMMOOOOOVVVVEEEE!!!!"

Out in the parking lot, a man in a bright orange hat watched horrified as his freshly cleaned windows shattered into little fragments.

Back inside, the three boys had already left and were tensely walking down the hall together. Once a sufficient distance from the men's room, Warren grabbed the rangy boy beside him and threw him up against the wall.

"You never answered my question. What do you care about Magenta?"

"She's hot, got a nice rack n' backside. Legs aren't too bad either. Her face is a little… cute for me but hey, what do want from a sidekick." The pyrokinetic's fist went in for a blow, but his rival was one step ahead of him.

Warren grunted in pain as his hand came into contact with the stiff metal walls of the school and released his enemy. Calling to his partner, Lash left with Speed at his side.

"Warren?"

**End of Chapter**

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RS: Sorry this chappy's so short, that was just the perfect place for me to leave off. I know, again not much Maj. But she's coming, don't worry. Leave a review! 


	3. A Close Friend

RS: Sorry this took so long, I've been really busy.

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**Chapter 3**

**A Close Friend**

He turned sharply, away from the familiar voice, heart nearly breaking though he didn't know why. Something about the innocence in her voice struck a chord in him, like it did the first night they'd talked, really talked. He'd had a crush on her at first, drawn to an opposition of his own being. But what chance had he? None. And with that resolution he'd overcome his attraction to her, and was glad he did.

"Warren? Are… are you alright?" she called again, taking a tentative step forward. She'd seen first hand his primitive ferocity when angered and didn't wish for it to be focused on her again.

"Go away," he ordered, "I don't want to talk now. Why are you here?"

"I came to find you, it's been a while since you left. We were getting worried." Her caring words were met with silence.

"Don't be." She looked down, hurt by his words before continuing.

"Class is starting soon… you left your book in the cafeteria."

He sighed, "I know."

"Then come get it… please Warren. We don't have to talk if you don't want to." The girl turned away, hurt by his stoic façade, returning to her friends, when a dark figure brushed by her.

Looking back, it called, "Coming, Layla?" smiling, the redhead ran to catch up with them and they walked back together.

No, Warren didn't have Layla as a girlfriend. He didn't want her as one. She was something better to him: a friend.

**End of Chapter**

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RS: Sorry about 2 short chapters, it was just the right thing to do. It's so much more dramatic and interesting when the story's divided properly. That's why I did that; I like it better this way.

And I know, I know, I keep saying Maj is coming and keep holding out. But she is, I swear!!! Next chapter there will be some major Magenta!

So just leave a review and you'll get her.


	4. Heart to Heart

RS: Sorry this took so long!!

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**Chapter 4**

**Heart to Heart**

"Hey, look who's back."

"About time, we were starting to think you'd drowned in a toilet."

Chuckling filled the table at the comment, and his eyes flitted to the one who'd spoken it. She was the topic of discussion only minutes earlier, and there she was again, sitting in all her glory, completely oblivious. Her sour mood appeared to have lightened, if only enough for her to throw out a sarcastic comment. It heartened him to hear it, even as the subject of ridicule.

"Well, Maj," he grinned, deciding to play along, "they are rather deep. Right, Ethan?" More laughter erupted at his words, accompanied by an offended exclamation by the put-off sidekick.

"Dude, chill, he's just pulling your leg." Will soothed, causing his friend's scowl to un-crease into a grin.

"Hey, I'm fine." Ethan laughed, "With my new powers, I'm never looking at the inside of a toilet again." Magenta's face fell, but no one took any notice.

"Yeah, man, we know," Will laughed, "Lash got served."

"Got that right," the melter laughed, "No one could mess with me then and no one will ever be able to mess with me now." He leaned back in his seat proudly, unwittingly causing his friend's modality to darken. This time, however, her face caught someone's eye.

"Maj? What's wrong?" inquired Zach worriedly.

"Nothing," she hissed, gathering her books and standing, "I just gotta go." Before any of them were given the chance to question her, she took off out of the cafeteria without any apparent notice from outside parties.

"Someone should go after her." Layla stated sadly, "She upset and there's got to be a reason." The group remained silent. No one was jumping at the chance to follow the temperamental shape shifter.

"Come on, you guys," she pleaded, doing her best to persuade the group, "someone has to do something."

"Well, why don't you go?" demanded Ethan stubbornly, "Aren't you two practically best friends?"

"Because," she further coaxed, "this doesn't seem to be the type of problem someone would want to discuss with their best friend."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look," Layla sighed in slight aggravation, "If you were having girl trouble, would you go to Zach for advice?"

Ethan's cheeks flushed pink at the question, but he responded nonetheless, "No," he answered with the shake of a head, "I'd find someone I didn't know quite so… well, some one I had a different type of companionship with."

She plowed on with her inference, "Exactly, you wouldn't feel comfortable with it and would worry about them judging you every time you're together. I get the impression that this is that type of a problem."

"But-" he was cut off as Warren stood. The sophomore was growing annoyed with the never-ending debate of logic brought on by the two over-achievers.

"I'll go." A bright smile lit up Layla's face.

"Really? That's great of you!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't get used to it." he warned. Will threw him a cheeky grin.

"Good luck." The pyrokinetic only glared in response and stalked off.

As he progressed towards the doors, Warren witnessed the image of all his friends sitting at the table grow smaller with each step. The sudden awareness of his actions hit him and he realized that he had just signed his soul to the devil and was walking to his doom. Of all the people Magenta might've wanted to see, it surely wasn't he.

It didn't take long for the purple girl to be found. She was in the quietest area of the school, which, coincidentally, happened to be just off the cafeteria. He only knew of it because its solitary atmosphere made it one of his favorite places to sit and think.

Her form was hunched pitifully against some of the old lockers lining the wall, curled into a tight ball. Sobs racked her body, muffled against her knees with tears seeping through the sparkling lavender army print of her pants. Her books and supplies were fanned out around her in a haphazard fashion, but she took no notice. All she could feel was the vibrations of her being as she wept uncontrollably.

"Hey Warren." Her voice greeted pathetically, sound muted by her shaking legs. Slowly her head lifted from her chest, her gaze meeting his own. She looked quite the mess, make-up running and her eyes bloodshot, puffy from excreting liquid. Tear streaks stained her porcelain pale cheeks, her slightly upturned nose a vibrant pinkish-red.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked, sliding down the wall to sit next to her. Her eyes became unfocused as she stared ahead of her, a bitter smile twisting her lips into an oddly grotesque form.

"Everyone has a different voice, scent, footstep, breathing rate, and stance. You learn to identify people by them when you're too small to get a good look. I just heard you coming." She spoke as though she'd rehearsed her words a hundred times before. It was the speech of someone who answered that very same question often, used to explaining her odd ability repeatedly to curious inquirers.

"Maj…" he began delicately, unsure of how to start but wishing to get straight to the point. She gave a hollow, unfeeling chuckle.

"You want to know why I left?" It was a statement more than a question. Warren looked down in silence, well aware that a response was not needed.

As he predicted, she continued without any prompting, "I'm always going to be the weakest of the group, I'm holding you guys back." More tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she said this, pain emanating off of her.

"You know what," she shook her head, "Just forget about it. This is so stupid." She turned away as a lone tear slid down her cheek. Hesitantly, the boy put an arm around her shoulder. He was not used to comforting people, let alone hysterical girls, and wasn't quite sure what to say. Yet, somehow, he found the words:

"Of course you're not holding us back, that's a stupid thing to say. What makes you think that?" he looked down, not meeting her gaze has he spoke. The pyrokinetic was desperate to remain tough and mean looking despite his sensitive position.

"Warren just look at everyone," she cried out in distress, "All their powers are changing but mine! Ethan can take shapes while in soup form… Layla can grow lemons… heck, even glow boy is stronger."

"Everyone isn't evolving," he offered in response, "Will and I are still the same." She turned to him, a slight anger filling her once more.

"That's different," she countered, "You guys are already the most powerful in the school. You don't have anything else to gain. I should be getting stronger!" she punched the wall for effect to match the white hot, seething fury now ablaze in her dark eyes.

"Maj-"

"I don't want to be left in your dust… I don't want to be left alone…"

Warren couldn't help but soften at this. He could remember a phobia like that, long ago when his father was first gone. The fear of being forced into solitude was not a small one. It started out as just a simple worry, something little just eating away at the back of your mind, but soon it grew into a dark force, consuming you with terror until you hang on to every thread of companionship and hope you have before turning on that to become cold. The fear had turned him into a loner, if he had no one to lose then how could he be left alone? It surely explained her fractious personality during the past days.

"We'd never leave you alone," he assured her, voice low and husky with emotion, "and you aren't holding us back. Maybe you'll get stronger and maybe you won't, but we're still here and we're going to be no matter what."

There was a pregnant pause before he stated in a distressed manner, "I just sounded exactly like Layla, didn't I?" Magenta couldn't help but giggle, before shaking her head vigorously.

"Yeah you did."

"Great…" he mumbled beneath his breath, "so much for my rep."

There was another stoic pause before she decided to continue, locking her arms around her friend in a tight hug, "Thanks Warren, it feels way better getting that off my chest." He had stiffened and begun to blush.

"Uh, no problem." Suddenly, she pulled back from the hug. "What is it?" he inquired, shocked by the abrupt change in her demeanor.

"You're, uh, not going to repeat any of this are you?"

He smirked, "Not unless you do. The last thing I need is for people to think I'm going soft." She laughed again at this, mood fully lightened.

"It's a deal then. Like our last 'heart to heart', this conversation never happened."

"What conversation?" she smiled fully at his teasing.

"Yeah, you got it." she chuckled, adding a 'God, this was so stupid…' under her breath to save face, "Can you help me with my stuff?"

"Sure. What happened?"

"I just sort of dropped them when I got here, I wasn't really paying attention to it at the time." Soon the books were gathered into a neat pile in Magenta's arms.

"So, now what?" she asked. As the final syllable escaped her mouth, the high-pitched tang of the bell filled the air, students filled the halls seconds later in response.

"I guess we get to class…"

"Uh, right. I'll see you later." She shot him a smile and turned away, fighting through the throng of teens toward her next class.

As she disappeared into the distance, Warren couldn't rip his gaze from her body. Something about the rhythmic swaying of her hips and the bounce of her hair as she walked hypnotized him. The tendrils hanging down swung as she moved and seemed to capture everyone's attention. Or, perhaps that part was merely his own imaginings.

Once Maj's form completely vanished from sight, he finally willed himself to turn away and head to class.

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**End of chapter**

RS: Tada! Sorry again, leave a review!


	5. Empty Home

RS: Wow, so it's been a while. Sorry about that, guys. This chappy takes a bit of artistic license with Maj's past, and has the tiniest X-Men crossover. But don't worry; you don't have to know anything about X-Men to get what's going on. Just that Wolfsbane could shape shift into a wolf.

Anyway, enjoy.

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**Chapter 5**

**Empty Home**

"In other news…" the television droned on in the background of many a house, though little to no attention was being paid to it.

In one home there sat a family of three, the entire group fully clothed in the reds, whites, and blues of the American flag. It was a boy seated at a table with his parents, laughing with them over a hardy dinner.

Next door to them, a red haired girl was doing the same. Plants and animals filled the colorful house to the brim with life, giving it a welcoming atmosphere. The very same channel was just barely detectable in the background.

In house a bit further from them, a blond boy sat with his family also in the same position. Yes, the entire street was a road of happy families. And though all different, all were sitting together contentedly in comfort.

But another house a few blocks down was a different story. A teen girl curled up on a homely couch, lazily staring off into space as the news station's monotonous sounds mingled with those of the static, making for a tiresome background noise. A simple dinner plait laid on her lap, stained an off-white shade by age and usage, covered in cold mashed potatoes, leathery ham, and nearly liquefied carrots. Beside her was a small bowl to match the plait, holding an apathetic assortment of lettuce.

Scooping up a bit of the lumpy white concoction, she tentatively placed the spoonful in her mouth. Her face contorted into one of disgust, as the taste of cardboard mixed with that of starch upon her tongue. She quickly swallowed the foul mixture and finished off what she could stomach, before moving on to the orange vegetable. The teen had barely begun to bite down when the food exploded, filling her mouth with a watery, bland carrot mash that was not at all appetizing. She willed herself to finish off nearly all of that as well. Her meat was the worst by far, needing to be gnawed and shredded for each bite. She stopped halfway through when her jaw began to ache and feel as though it shared a few distinct characteristics with rubber. As she started on her sad, wilted lettuce, the girl began to contemplate.

Many figured her to be a vegetarian as a result of her animalistic transformation, but she lacked the ability to make such a connection. Hadn't anyone ever heard of the food chain? Besides, she reasoned, it wasn't as if she were eating her own kind; guinea pigs aren't edible.

Slipping her eating-ware into the sink, Magenta sighed. It got awful lonely when her dad was away at work. Looking at the man, you'd never have guessed he was her non-superhero parent. He was a rather intimidating man in appearance, with broad shoulders and a head of ruggedly unkempt raven locks that were constantly falling into his dark eyes. That was the only way you could tell she was his daughter, they had the same tar-colored hair that fell into the same almond-shaped eyes, though his mocha-shaded skin had blended with her mother's own pale complexion in order to give birth to Maj's healthy glow. The shape-shifter's eyes softened.

'_Mom…'_ that was who she really looked like. She turned to the photo on the mantle-piece of a kind-looking woman, if not slightly battle-hardened. The woman's snow-white skin seemed to give off a light of its own, mingling with the sparkle of her green eyes. A familiar, upturned nose, the same slightly bulbous one that gave the purple girl her cute appearance, sat adorably in the middle of her face, giving the woman a sweet and innocent allure. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail as she smiled sincerely at the camera. The only contradiction to her angelic appearance were the inconspicuously over-sharpness of her canine teeth, which were a direct relation to her powers. Her daughter had inherited her shape-shifting abilities.

Magenta could only see her mother for a few weeks each summer, when she had time to take a plain to Scotland and visit her lycanthrope mother, Rahne 'Wolfsbane' Sinclair. Her mother had been one of the X-Men, an amazing group of superheroes from when people first began to have super-human abilities. Maj's parents had met when they'd attended a local high school together and bumped into each other again in the years to come. They'd fallen in love almost instantly after being reunited. They'd never been married, Rahne was too guarded against such strong ties, but they still had deep feelings for one-another.

The girl sighed and turned away, curling back up on the couch. She'd always found her parents' story romantic and secretly dreamed of a similar one for herself, though perhaps tied with less loneliness in the ending. Her brow furrowed at the thought of romance as she was reminded of something.

_**Flashback**_

_Magenta's mood was significantly lightened as she bounced down the hall. Somehow, Warren had known exactly what to say to make her feel better. Not even when she and Zach were dating had the sidekick been able to comfort her like that. Yet, somehow her most distant, stoic friend could._

_She stopped at her locker and dumped her books in. Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down her spine. The girl froze. She wasn't cold. She wasn't sick. She wasn't disgusted. She became acutely aware of the sensation of someone's eyes boring into her from behind. It wasn't the same chilling hatred that accompanied a glare; she knew that feeling well from Warren's over jealous ex-girlfriend. It was more of a heated gaze, filling the pit of her stomach with white-hot coals._

_The shape-shifter casually turned around and leaned on her locker while glancing around. It looked perfectly natural, as if she was searching the crowd for her friends, getting her bearings to find her next class, or even just looking to see who was around. But she wasn't doing any of those. Her dark orbs scanned the crowd, searching out the source of her discomfort. They widened as they met their target and she stiffened._

_A pair of stormy gray eyes stared back. Across the hall, from under the brown hair that fell into his gaze, Lash met her stare. Throwing on a smirk, he winked and blew her a kiss. In response, the freshman sneered and rolled her eyes before turning away, though she could feel her cheeks flushing brightly. From behind her, she could make out the sound of his laugh filling the hall._

_She ignored it and gathered her things for her next periods. When she turned around, he was gone. Shrugging it off, she hurried to her next class, determined not to be late._

_**End Flashback**_

Maj sighed and shook her head, deciding it wasn't worth dwelling over; he was just trying to get under her skin. Turning, she looked to the door. Jotting down a quick note so her father wouldn't worry, she grabbed her bag off the table and her coat off the chair before leaving the house. A long walk was just what she needed to clear her head.

The night air was crisp and clean, smoothly filling her lungs. Little puffs of smoke exited her mouth with each breath she took. It was undeniably chilly, but she didn't care. The hairs on her body stood on end and her skin prickled in the wind. A cool shiver made its way down her spine but she only smiled.

Her grin faded as she became acutely aware of how quiet the night was. She was alone on the sidewalks, walking alternately betwixt streetlights and the darkness in-between. She shivered once more, this time out of nervousness rather than cold.

Magenta tried to shake off the feeling, "This is so stupid." The words were shaky and hollow beneath her breath, doing nothing to ease her discomfort. Subconsciously, her pace quickened. She began to contemplate the foolishness of her idea. She was just a freshman sidekick, after all, wandering the dark streets at night with no means of protection.

Well, she did have some protection. Reaching into her bag, she produced a can of pepper spray. The bottle did little to console, but she reasoned that at least it was some means of self-defense.

She froze at a sound to the side of her. It was almost like liquid draining. In her mind, grotesque mental images began to form. She pictured lions drinking the blood of a mangled victim: her. She saw a serial killer slitting her throat… a giant crow ripping her head off… tiny bearded garden gnomes slowly eating her alive, chewing from the legs up!

Maj shook her head; the last image had been positively ridiculous. Still, she couldn't deny that she was nervous. Her speed picked up more, turning her steady pace into a stiff power walk.

'_Calm down,'_ she urged herself, _'these things only happen in bad horror movies, not in real life.'_

Another sound came, a similar drip, from her right. Moving quickly, she set herself into a light jog. Her body became subconsciously determined to find a more populated area and, though she refused to admit it, she was becoming undeniably fearful.

Suddenly, a splash resounded directly behind her. Losing all face, she squeaked and broke off into a run, her bag hitting against her side with each bound. She could still distinctly hear something behind her.

"… MAJ!" she gasped as a voice rang out, calling her name, and sprinted another few yards. She yelped loudly as a hand closed on her shoulder.

**End of Chapter**

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RS: Yes, I know Maj is fairly tough, but it's really all just an act and even the coolest people get nervous sometimes. So I guess she just wasn't sure how to defend herself. Actually, she would probably just turn into a guinea pig and scurry away. But oh well.

Leave a review!


	6. Pepper Spray

RS: Sorry took so long, been crazy busy. Now it is only fair to warn you, this is only meant to be a humorous filler chapter, though it lacks any effective humor whatsoever. You have been warned. It really sucks, don't judge me on it, it serves no purpose.

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**Chapter 6**

**Pepper Spray**

Maj's scream filled the air, causing her pursuer to relinquish his grip. Spinning around and screwing her eyes shut, she began to spray blindly in the general direction.

A familiar voice joined hers, "AAAAAHHHHHH!! My eyes!" she abruptly stopped spraying and warily opened her eyes. He jumped about, hands covering his face as he moaned. She slipped the pepper spray back into her pack and put on an annoyed look.

"Jeez, Ethan! What was with sneaking up on me?" she demanded.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you," he snapped, still trying to flush out his eyes, "you started running and freaking out for no reason."

"I did not-"

"Aw, my eyes!"

"Oh for the love of god, just melt. Won't it, like, displace the spray or something?" he tried her idea.

"Great, my eyes hurt less but now all I taste is pepper. Thanks a lot!"

"How was I supposed to know it was you?"

"Well would it have killed you to _check_?"

"Why would I have done _that_?!"

"So you'd know who you were spraying!

"Well," she took a ragged breath, as her voice began to gain volume, "how was I supposed TO KNOW IT WAS _YOU_?!"

"YOU NEVER CHECKED!"

"THERE WAS NO REASON TO!"

"THAT'S A LIE!"

"WHY WOULD A FRIEND BE SNEAKING UP ON ME?"

"I WASN'T SNEAKING!"

"YES YOU WERE!"

"NO I WASN'T!"

"YES YOU WERE!"

"NO I WASN'T!"

"YOU WERE!"

"I WAS NOT!" he countered.

"YOU WERE!"

"NOT!"

"WERE!"

"NOT!"

"WERE!"

"YES YOU WERE!"

"NO I WAS NOT!"

"YEAHUH!" she spat childishly.

"NUHUH!"

"YEAHUH!"

"NUHUH!"

"YEAHUH!"

"NUHUH!"

"WHY ARE WE SCREAMING LIKE A BUNCH OF LITTLE KIDS?"

"YOU STARTED IT!" he stated meanly.

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"YES YOU DID!"

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"YES YOU DID!"

"I DID NOT!"

"YOU DID TOO!"

"DID NOT!" Maj defended.

"DID TOO!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"UGH, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO STARTED IT!" Ethan screeched.

"THEN WHY ARE WE ARGUING OVER IT?"

"BECAUSE WE JUST ARE!"

"THEN WHY ARE WE STILL YELLING?"

"BECAUSE I'M STILL ANGRY!"

"WHY?"

"I WANT AN APOLOGY!"

"WHY SHOULD _I_ APOLOGIZE?"

"BECAUSE YOU GOT ME IN THE EYES WITH PEPPER SPRAY!"

"WELL YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SNEAKING UP ON ME!"

"I WASN'T SNEAKING!"

"YES YOU WERE!" Maj accused.

"NO I WASN- DON'T START THAT AGAIN!"

"YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR SCARING ME!"

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I THOUGHT YOU KNEW IT WAS ME BEHIND YOU!"

"WELL WHY WERE YOU FOLLOWING ME?"

"BECAUSE WE'VE HARDLY TALKED ALL WEEK!"

"YOU STILL SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SNEAKING!"

"I WASN'T! YOU FREAKED OUT FOR NO REASON!"

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"YES YOU DID, AND I WANT AN APOLOGY!"

"NO WAY!"

"YES WAY!" he demanded girlishly.

"NO WAY!"

"YES WAY!"

"MY THROAT HURTS!"

"THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE YELLING!"

"I KNOW THAT! WHY DON'T WE STOP?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"WELL I'M NOT STOPPING UNTIL YOU STOP!"

"FI- er, fine."

"It's about time." Both their voices rasped in soreness.

"I still want an apology."

"WHA-" he cut her off by clearing his throat.

"Ugh, this is so stupid…" She mumbled beneath her breath, then sighed, "Look, Ethan, I really am sorry. It's just been a rough day."

He sighed as well and nodded, "I understand, it's no problem… we cool?" a grin spread across her face and she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"We're cool."

"Good…"

"You wanna go hang-out?"

"Can't, I need to get home."

"Does anyone _not_?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everybody has curfews, you all need to get home. Where am I supposed to go for some place to hang out?"

Ethan grinned, "Check out the 'Paper Lantern'."

"Why?" she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Just do it."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright…" there was a pause of silence.

"I should get going."

"Alright. See ya around, popsicle."

"See you around… fur ball."

He took off in the opposite direction, not keen on having her beat him up. Sighing she decided to let him get away with it… this time. So, the two parted ways in opposite directions, she in the same direction as earlier.

**End Chapter**

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RS: That chapter was not only horrible, but ridiculous too. Please don't flame me on this particular chapter, because doing so will serve no purpose… Was kinda funny in my head though… 


	7. Warm

RS: Yawn Another chapter. I really shouldn't be wasting my time with this, I have a 4000 word paper due… but it's just cuz I love y'all so much! ;p

And sorry it took so long!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Warm**

Maj yawned as she walked through down the road. Her legs were beginning to get sore, and she needed some place to sit and rest. The freezing winds bit at her face while shivers ran down her spine. Her argument with Ethan had distracted her from the weather, but she was beginning to notice again. Luckily, Chinatown was only about another block from her current position, and her destination was one of the first buildings.

'_What a day…'_ her mind wandered back to earlier, when Lash had been watching her from across the hall. It had been… _unnerving_ to say the least, finding his eyes on her. The odd passion that seethed in them made her feel oddly exposed. Another cold shiver slid down her spine, this time not from the temperature around her.

'_What could have possibly made him interested in me? I mean, all I am to him is one of Will Stronghold's little friends, aren't I? Maybe he's looking for someone new to torture, a fresh sidekick… I'd better stick around Ethan for a while. But then why doesn't he just come after me? So far, all he's done is blow a… kiss… at…me…'_

She stopped in her tracks, head exploding with realizations. Lash had come on to her. _Lash_ had come on to _her_. Lash, the head anti-sidekick bully, had come on to her, the lowest of the low sidekicks. Whoa. This was _not_ happening.

'_No way, guys like Lash are __**not**__ interested in girls like me. He is far too almighty, holier than thou. Guys like him go for popular girls, powerful girls, rich girls… beautiful girls.'_ She shook her head to rid herself of the negative thought and resumed walking. She was beat and in serious need of a comfortable place to sit down in, or at least a glass of water.

As her destination came into view, the weight on her shoulders seemed to lift ever so slightly. It was nice to know there was somewhere comfortable to sit down and grab a snack or some sort of a drink. She paused her walking for a second and dug into her bag. Pulling out a wad of cash, she counted her leftover lunch money and saved allowance she had shoved in her pack. It measured up to fifteen dollars, more than what she'd need.

Walking up to the oriental establishment, she pulled open the door and stepped inside. Already she could feel the warmth from the heater seep into her skin. It was dimly lit and empty, not another soul in the entire place. The owner's wife smiled kindly as she led her to a booth, seeming to give off a comforting glow all her own. Her name was Jia Chan, and she was a middle aged Chinese woman with dull black hair and a slightly drawn face, wrinkles starting to seep into her warm yellow skin. Maj thanked her politely, her infectious compassion flowing onto her face in the form of a smile, and sat down, glancing at the menu. She decided that some tea was definitely in order as she shrugged off her coat and placed it beside her on the seat with her bag.

"Welcome to the Paper- oh crap…" a masculine voice cursed from above her.

Maj looked up at the figure standing before her and resisted the urge to laugh out loud… or drool. There was bad boy Warren Peace standing before her with a and apron around his waste, a pad and pen in his hands, and his hair tied back in a little pony tail… though he was wearing a practically skin tight tee-shirt that showed off his well-toned chest and arms and she was offered a full view of his deep eyes and chiseled features with his dark hair pulled away from his attractive face. Magenta had always thought he looked attractive, so she wasn't disturbed by noticing his looks… but, then again, she'd also thought Zach was cute at one point, so she was begging to question her taste in guys. She couldn't decide if she liked his hair better up or down. Probably down, she decided.

"Well, well, well," she smirked, "what do we have here?" rolling his eyes, Warren crossed his arms awaiting his impending doom in the form of Maj's teasing. He had to admit, though, she looked exceptionally beautiful. Every imperfection seemed to come together seamlessly and transform the overall picture into something even more perfect.

Her dark eyes were moist and shining, irritated from the violent winds outside. Her cheeks were flushed red from the chilliness, and her slightly upturned nose was strawberry pink in color. Her midnight hair contrasted beautifully with the glow of her skin in the dim lighting and her full, pink lips were slightly cracked and reddened. Her clothing was slightly ruffled from her jacket. Warren had been noticing these things about her ever since she'd opened up to him. Of course, he'd always been aware of the fact that she was attractive but it had never consumed his entire attention span as it had just begun to do.

"Do mine eyes deceive me, or is bad boy extraordinaire Warren Peace serving people in a quaint little restaurant on the outskirts of China town?" she giggled lightly at his slightly put off face.

"Shut-up…" he spat, slightly embarrassed. The only people who'd known about is job were Layla, whom we all know about, and Ethan, whom he'd hesitantly, and with the large swallowing of his pride, asked for advice on how to put the money he was making into some sort of account or savings bond. The boy had helped with minimal teasing, mostly due to threats. Now, he could add Maj to the list.

'_Jeez, I might as well just put up flyers at school… then at least I'd have a decent excuse for beating Lash's dumb-ass face in.'_ Warren almost grinned at the thought.

The girl put her hands up in mock surrender, "Of course."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he inquired, sitting down across from her.

She shrugged, "Just going for a walk. Man, Ethan had the right idea when he told me to come here."

"Great…" Ethan was a dead man. He was one melted Popsicle… except for the fact that he always melted, so that threat really didn't count for much.

"Oh lighten up; this is nothing to be ashamed of. So you've got a job, so what? It's not like you're a nanny or something." She paused for a moment, "Oh god… you're not, are you?" rolling his eyes, he shook his head at the melodramatic question. "Oh, good."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her antics, glad to have the old Maj back, "So you ran into Ethan, huh?"

"Yeah…" he raised an eyebrow, she was blushing.

"What happened?" he inquired nonchalantly, leaning back with and aura of coolness about him. She moved forward to the edge of the bench.

"Okay, swear you won't laugh?" he nodded, "Alright… I was taking a walk and he totally freaked me out… so I sprayed him."

"… You 'sprayed him'?" Warren asked confusedly, wondering what it could possibly mean. He had an overwhelming fear that he didn't want to know.

"Yeah, y'know. Like, with pepper spray. And let me tell you, he was _not_ happy." She went on to recount the entire story with more detail, her male counterpart listening intently with relief and laughing at all the right moments. The two were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Double sets of eyes watched the two teens from the kitchens. The head chef and owner of the Paper Lantern, Wei, looked with his wife, Jia, as the pair inadvertently flirted, unwittingly falling for one another. She was smiling, as she usually was, while he kept on his usual stoic façade. They'd taken Warren in as their own son at a very young age, just after his father had been sent to prison. His mother, grief stricken and turned away by both heroes and villains, could not sufficiently care for her son, and therefore left him in her closest friend's care. Jia had been more than willing to take in the young boy, always having felt close to him. Wei, however, required some convincing on the women's part.

Wei was, like his wife, the stereotypical looking Chinese male, with jet-black hair just starting to grey and dark grey eyes. An often seemingly cold-hearted man, he believed in letting people fend for themselves with minimal help, considering it true strength. However, Jia gradually won him over and Warren was moved into the apartment above the restaurant with the couple. He was not immediately accepted, though. Wei insisted that respect must be earned and gratitude shown, so he was trained to work. At first he only cleaned and kept the apartment, occasionally running errands, but as he grew older and their establishment grew slightly more popular, he began to train as a chef. The two soon learned, however, that his culinary skills were less than up to par and instead had him wait on tables. Things had been that way ever since. Wei also believed in receiving your due earnings, hence Warren's salary.

"_I like this one."_ Jia stated finally in her mother tongue, breaking the silence. Wei's eyes narrowed at the two untrustingly.

"_I preferred the red head, she knew her place."_ He answered in Chinese, _"This girl is far too rebellious; the other sat quietly. She was polite and kept her tongue, like a female should."_

"_But despite his feelings she is in love with his best friend. They come here often, do not forget."_

"Hn." was his only answer.

"_Besides,"_ she continued, _"just look at those two. The stars shine over them both, but neither knows it quite yet. What a lovely couple they shall make."_

Not bothering to answer but growing tired of their antics, Wei called out to his adopted 'son', "Warren-san!"

The boy in question had just finished hearing the story and turned towards the kitchens, _"Yes, Wei-sifu? What is it?"_ he called back in their language, earning an impressed look from his female companion. (1)

"_We close soon, take the girl's order and clean up."_ He ordered.

"_Yes, Wei-sifu."_ He answered in Chinese before turning back to Maj and saying, in English, "I have to get back to work. What do you want?" she nodded in understanding.

"Just some tea, please." He moved his head in an affirmative gesture and wrote it down, "You speak Chinese?"

"Yeah, learned when I was little." He answered before standing and heading to the kitchen to place the order. He did so and Wei started on it immediately while he and Jia cleaned tables together.

"_So what's her name?"_ the older woman asked conversationally, still speaking in an oriental tongue. Warren eyed her for a moment, before turning back to what he was doing.

"_Magenta, why?"_ he inquired, not needing to be as polite with her as he was with Wei.

Instead of answering the question, she only went on conversationally, _"She's pretty."_ Warren paused.

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_ he asked in distrusting. His foster mother had been rooting for he and Layla to hook-up, wanting him to have a 'healthy, American social life', though Wei thought he would do better only being personal with the girl he intended to marry. Warren wondered how that was possible, but he knew better than to question his rather tenacious guardian.

"_It's not supposed to mean anything, it's simply an observation. She's pretty."_ There was a moment of silence before Warren nodded.

"Yeah, she is." Deep in thought, he'd forgotten to respond in his second language.

**End of Chapter**

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(1) –Sifu is a Chinese honorific meaning teacher-father. Since Wei is so straight laced and doesn't entirely accept Warren, he makes him be extremely polite and respecting towards him. Also, respecting your elders is a _huge_ Chinese custom. Jia wants him to think of her as sort of a surrogate mother, so she lets him speak to her openly. She wants to be a 'savvy American'.

RS: There, finally done. Review please!


	8. Closing Time

R_S: Sorry this took so long.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Closing Time**

A few minutes later, Jia had joined Wei to clean up in the kitchen. Maj was sitting by herself, sipping her tea as she watched Warren silently clean the tables, having only paused his work to hang her jacket on the coat rack over the heater in order to keep it warm. She was now just watching the stoic boy before her, allowing the hotness from her cup to end the numbness in her fingers.

Her head jolted up in shock as the clock struck ten, but Warren didn't bat an eyelash at the sudden noise. Instead he only turned toward the kitchen where Wei barked out orders in Chinese. Nodding, he replied in the same, foreign tongue. Finished cleaning the tables, he headed over to stand in front of Maj, who cocked a brow in curiosity.

"It's time for us to close."

She nodded in understanding, "How much do I owe you?" pulling her bill from his apron, he placed in on the table and stated the price. Digging into her bag, she pulled out the amount due along with some extra.

"Hm," she wondered aloud in a playful tone, "how much should I tip you? You didn't earn much, all you did was bring me tea…"

He almost laughed, instead settling for a cocky grin to show off all his straight, white teeth. She was teasing him, trying to see what he'd do. He only shrugged in response and leaned against the side of her booth, effectively giving off an aura of confidence. Smiling softly at him, she pushed a couple bills into his hands.

He nodded in gratitude, "Thanks."

"No problem." The two stood, just looking at each other, for a moment, unable to avert their eyes. An unseen force glued them down, invisible head braces holding their gazes. The force began to pull them closer, until they were only a couple of inches away. If they just moved their heads a little closer, their soft lips would meet as one in a soft kiss…

Lash's picture. It popped up in Maj's head before she had a chance to stop it. He was staring at her flirtatiously… blowing her a kiss from across the hall… laughing as she threw him a distasteful look… It shook something inside her, causing a cold shiver run down her spine. Warren took little notice, pegging it as a reaction from adrenaline and excitement, and continued to lean in. A feeling of guilt welled up inside Magenta's chest as the other male's picture continued to flash through her head.

Looking down, she pulled away, "I'd, uh, better not keep you then." The pyrokinetic's face shown with temporary disappointment, but he quickly masked it with his usual stoic indifference. Nodding, he picked up the stuff from her table and headed to the kitchen, leaving the shape-shifter to her own thoughts.

'_Lash… why would I be thinking of him?'_ she wondered, pulling her legs up to her chest, _'Okay, so he flirted a little… but that doesn't mean anything… does it?'_

"Maj–" Here head shot up.

"Y-yeah Warren?"

"I, uh, think you'd better go out the back…" he nodded towards the front, where a group of girls stood glaring mercilessly at her. Luckily, the door was locked and they were only visible through the windows.

"What's up with _them_?"

He sighed, "They've memorized when I get off from work… annoying little leeches." she stood and the two headed towards the back, after grabbing Maj's bag off the chair and coat off the rack. Pulling it on, she noted contentedly how warm he'd gotten it.

"You've got your own little fan club!" she laughed out loud, causing his cheeks to flush just barely. "God, do they just come around and bat their eyelashes at you until you scream?" she laughed a bit more.

"Something like that… when they're not blowing kisses or flipping their skirts up…" he chuckled a bit too, finally realizing the ridiculousness of the situation.

"So that's why they were glaring then, because we were… talking?" she asked, feigning their own innocence.

He nodded in agreement, going along with it, "Yeah, apparently only girls in their little group are allowed talk to me or something." He rolled his eyes, "It's pathetic, really."

She nodded, "Undeniably."

There was a moment of silence, which Magenta made sure to break quickly, "So they memorized when your shift ends… that's sorta shifty. Stalker-ish much?"

He gave a forced laugh in reply to her forced joke, "Yeah, they're pretty crazy… So, uh, I'll show you where the back door is." Taking her arm, Warren led her into the kitchen. Jia and Wei glanced up and stopped their work, Jia with a curious look and Wei with an angry one.

"_What's she doing back here?!" _ Wei demanded, his dialect earning a slightly confused look from the girl._ "Customers aren't allowed in the kitchens, you know that!"_

"_My apologies, Wei-sifu…"_ As he explained, Warren bowed in respect, causing Magenta to giggle lightly. She promptly silenced herself and trained her eyes to the ground in response to a sharp look from Wei. It wasn't that she was mocking their way of life; the image of her toughest friend bowing just sent her for a loop. Jia sent her husband a disapproving look, offering a welcoming smile to the younger female which was hesitantly returned, though without looking her in the eyes.

"… _so, you see, I really could not send her out the front. May she please use the back door?"_ finished with his request, Warren remained bent over for another few seconds before standing erect once more. Wei did not answer, instead turning to regard Maj with a calculating look.

"What is your name?" her head shot up in response to his thickly accented voice. His English sounded forced and slightly broken; he obviously did not speak with a frequency that matched his wife's.

"What?" his eyes darkened ever so slightly at her lack of formal respect.

He repeated his inquisition irritatedly, "What is your name?"

"Oh. Magenta."

"Your _full_ name."

"Excuse me?" she asked, slightly sketched out by the sudden interrogation.

Warren cut in, "It's," he coughed to buy himself a couple of seconds, "Chinese custom to get to know a person when you meet them. It's to be more respectful." He really had no idea if that was the case, but the last thing he needed was for his friend and his guardian to be at each other's throats.

She nodded, naïvely buying every word he said, "It's Magenta Azzurra Black." Wei cocked an eyebrow, in response to which the shape-shifter shrugged, "My parents had a penchant for colors, I guess."

"How do you two know each other?" he questioned.

"We go to school together." Warren responded somewhat nervously. He'd never know his employer to be so inquisitive.

"Oh," Jia cried pleasantly, "you have powers, too?"

Maj nodded, "I'm a shape-shifter."

"Shape-shifter?" Wei questioned, irked at the fact a mere teenager was using a word he didn't understand. Instead of respond verbally, Magenta put down her back. Curling herself into a crouching position, she let her bones rearrange themselves to the slightly horrified looks of Wei and Jia.

"You are a rodent?"

"A _guinea pig_." Her squeaky voice chirped in annoyance. A few seconds later she was human once more and picked up her bag.

"I thought you could not use powers outside school?" Wei commented disapprovingly, broken English once again flowing freely.

Jia cut in pleadingly, "She was only demonstrating for us, it was not doing any harm." He still appeared displeased, but only continued.

At Wei's next question the two teens froze, vibrant red creeping across their faces. The kitchen suddenly seemed to grow twice as warm and twice as small as they lightly inched away from each other. Magenta rang her hands in embarrassment while Warren tugged at his collar nervously. Their heart-rates increased dangerously, the idea secretly exciting them.

"How long have you been dating?"

"We're not dating!!!" the two blurted out in unison, mortification clearly written on their faces.

"Maj and I just friends." Wei shot him a weary look, "That's it," he insisted, "nothing more." The man nodded and all was awkwardly silent for a few moments.

Turning to Magenta Jia smiled politely, "You may use the back door. Is someone here to pick you up?"

"Nah, I'm walking." The woman looked slightly taken aback.

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

Wei stepped in, "It is not safe for a young lady to be out on her own when it is dark. Warren-san will take you."

Maj flushed, "Uh, thanks, but I'm good."

"Nonsense," Jia pressed, "you two can walk through China town on the way. Warren-san, get your jacket."

Sending his friend an apologetic look, the pyrokinetic nodded, "Yes, Jia."

Jia turned to her husband as Magenta waited outside, _"How sad,"_ she commented in her native tongue, _"that they do not realize that they are destined to be together."_ The man beside her did not answer immediately, only remained indifferent.

Finally he replied. _"The passion behind that young love burned strong. Something in her pushed it inside. Fear, perhaps."_ Turning, he left his wife alone to think.

'_There is more to them, a great future, I am sure of it…'_ she mused, adding vocally, "They just need a little help getting there."

**End of Chapter**

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R_S: blah, so busy… this chapter was uber crappy. *dies*


	9. Chinatown

R_S: Chapter 9… I think my writing's tapering off.

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**Chapter 9**

**Chinatown**

"Wei and Jia seem pretty controlling, but taking you in like they did was super cool." Magenta commented as they walked. They'd decided to take Jia's suggestion and detour through China Town. The lights twinkled beautifully above them as the pair sauntered pleasantly down the street at a leisurely pace, glancing at the merchandise in each of the corner shops.

Warren shrugged, "Well they couldn't really just leave me on my own, but I guess it _was_ pretty cool of them." She nodded in response, scuffing her shoes across the pavement. Lifting her head, she took in the sights surrounding her. Even so late into the evening with all the inhabitants closing shop, Chinatown was filled with an array of vibrant colors and textures, lanterns hanging across streets and lights in the windows. She couldn't help but wonder what each of the delicate characters painted across signs and billboards could possibly mean and briefly flirted with the idea of asking Warren but thought better of it. How dorky would that be? She'd look so totally stupid.

So they wandered for the better part of an hour. She was having a blast, she had to admit. He taught her a handful of Chinese phrases, laughing because none of which she could quite grasp the accent for, and took her into what he knew were the best shops to look through. Magenta wasn't sure if over the course of her entire life she'd spoken half as much as she had that night just the two of them, and Warren thought likewise. It was laidback, familiar and warm, lacking the superficiality of the usual daily conversation but not intense. Both were content just to listen to the other talk. But even that was not necessity, as the two found themselves walking in a comforting silence, one that was not in the least bit awkward.

"You really like it here, don't you?" he asked out of the blue. Maj was staring up at the signs and sights of Chinatown, lost in her own little world. She was caught quite off-guard by the sudden question.

"Huh?" she sputtered dumbly.

"Chinatown." He clarified while pausing his step to turn and face his significantly shorter female companion. Their eyes met, taking her breath away.

"What makes you say that?" the words escaped her lips delicately, barely a broken whisper. His eyes were dark swirls of molten thought, reflecting intelligence back at her. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest making it hard to breath.

He smirked slightly, "Your eyes get awfully big when you look at something you like." Their adorable roundness did not escape Warren as her gaze fell upon his form.

"Oh," she uttered quietly, eyes drifting shut, "I never noticed…"

"Magenta…" his voice was low and husky; his head dropping lower as his eyelids slowly dropped down. Her head tilted up, ready to meet him, her chest felt ready to explode and the moment seemed so right…

But his face, Lash's image was burned into the girl's retinas. She pulled back, letting her head fall.

"It's getting late." She croaked, looking at her shoes, no courage left within her to meet his gaze, "I should get home." A pregnant pause filled the air as Warren wondered how to respond, taken aback by her sudden withdrawal of interest. His hands were sweating, lips tingling as the heat that had pooled in his stomach swirled awkwardly before it began to dissipate.

He tried not to appear disappointed, "Oh, um… cool, it's no problem. We can just get going… I'll take you." She shook her head.

"No, that's okay. I, uh, I think I can make it there on my own."

"Maj," she ignored the memory of how he'd said her name only seconds before, "it's pretty dark out and you don't live anywhere near here."

She shook her head, "It's no big deal. I've still got the pepper spray I accosted Ian with, remember? Besides, you shouldn't have to walk all the way there and back this late. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Oh… um, alright." He nodded, "I'll, uh, see you around…. You sure you wanna go alone?"

"Yeah, see ya." She gave him a quick, awkward hug and began walking away. After only a few seconds she paused, looking over her shoulder to see him still staring back at her concernedly.

"I'll be fine. I'm a big girl," she smirked, "I tie my own shoes and everything." Grinning at her retreating form, he watched her the entire time she walked away. She was just too spunky _not_ to be fine.

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**End of Chapter**

R_S: If anyone wants to help with this story, please let me know. It's never gonna get finished at this rate.


	10. Thinking of You

R_S: Decided to give a 3 for 1 special today.

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**Chapter 10 **

**Thinking of You**

Magenta had never really taken the time to notice before, but Warren was undeniably hot. Sure she'd noticed his good looks at the beginning of the year, before she'd known who he was, but his notoriety had preceded him. Indeed, she'd judged him by his reputation and back-story, not giving him a second glance after learning of his identity. Before then she'd even considered approaching him to flirt, but she had immediately decided against the idea upon learning he was _the_ Warren Peace, son of two opposing forces and bad boy extraordinaire. However, it wasn't long before she decided that she had prejudged him, albeit not gaining the courage to approach.

He had those perfectly chiseled features, the type that could make a Goth-girl swoon. His face was attractively angular, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. His nose was a flawless shape, just ever so slightly upturned, and his pink lips were full and supple, they looked velvety soft to the touch. The way his hair fell in front of his dark face hid his eyes. Those eyes… they were beautiful, dark pools she could drown in and never care. His tough-ass bad boy manner was undeniably sexy. He was perfect, in every sense of the word.

When she and the guys had seen Layla sitting at the table with him, she had sat there without a second thought. She'd often wondered if perhaps she'd misjudged the punk and the scene of he and little Ms. Innocent had immediately put her mind at ease. When he'd tried to scare them off, she instantly knew he was all bark and no bite. The desperate tone his voice took on alerted her to the scared little boy behind the tough façade. It had taken all her self-control to keep from blushing that day.

But now they were all close friends, despite their differences.

Did she really want to throw that away? It was a foolish course of action, she knew, but the desire was still there. She'd given Zach a try, sure, and they'd become friends again after the break-up, but where things really still the same? _She_ didn't feel all that awkward, but maybe he did. If she and Warren broke up, what then? They were both too prideful to let the other just 'win.' It could tear the group apart! He and the ice princess _never_ spoke anymore, let alone got along. They just glared at each other and kept their distance. They were the epitome of the ugly break-up, and Maj didn't want them to end up the same way.

And what if she did do it? What if she came back to the Paper Lantern flirted and went for the gold, only to find out Warren didn't think of her that way? God, she could ruin _everything_! Was she stupid? No, no she wouldn't do it. Sometimes it's just better to let sleeping dogs lie. Blinking the tears away, she glanced back at Chinatown one last time. He was still there watching her go, being a good friend.

**End of Chapter

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**

R_S: Ah, but what does Warren think?


	11. Beautiful Girl

R_S: Warren's side.

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**Chapter 11 **

**Beautiful Girl**

He had watched her tiny form disappear until it was nothing more than a speck in the night air. Now Warren wondered, fleetingly, as he continued his stroll through late night Chinatown, how he had overlooked it before. How had he overlooked _her_ before? Dark hair falling in delicate strands, a full, confident aura emanating from her form; she seemed so vibrantly blatant now, more so than any other girl he had ever met.

It was unwise, he knew, to be entertaining such thoughts about one of his best friend's ex-girlfriends, but he couldn't help it. Something about her, especially as of late, had rooted itself in the back of his mind, holding him utterly captivated. And damn it all to hell, she was his friend too! But did that make her fair play, or even more off limits? It all opened up a can of worms, a heavy debate on whether or not it was ethically respectable to pursue the shape shifting belle.

Silly, he decided, scoffing. It was silly to be mulling over such things at such a moment. There was so much else in his life right now to worry about. There was the restaurant, of course, his job was quite important. His grades, it was difficult enough staying focused in Medulla's lab without a girl to fantasize about. And soon he would be expected to pick a hero name and how in the hell was he supposed to pick one? Every name he could think of was… he just shivered.

He wondered vaguely if it was hard to come up with a shape shifting name and shook his head. It was so typical that his mind would wander back to her. He could only remember being this confused once before, when he'd first began to think of Layla in that way. But even then, the sensation felt… _different_ almost, he couldn't explain it even if he tried. He settled instead for picturing her in his mind.

Beautiful, he thought, she was a beautiful girl. And, she just might even be interested in him. The thought sent light chills down his spine. But then again, if she wasn't… would he make a fool of himself if he asked, if he pursued? Probably, he admitted dully… but, then again, perhaps not. Or maybe, if he was really lucky, she'd make the first move. She'd kept running away from Zach until she got to take control, so that could be the answer. He'd let her take the reigns, and he'd let her approach him.

Yes, Magenta was a beautiful girl, and Warren was waiting for her.

**End of Chapter

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**

R_S: Seriously, I haven't written anything on this for months. I need some help people!


	12. The Dating Game

R_S: I know this is ridiculously late, things are hectic. Hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter 12 **

**The Dating Game**

The night was cool, Magenta noted, and inside she haughtily berated herself for sending Warren and his unusually intense emanating body heat away. It was positively dreadful being this cold. But, then again, she needed time to think, and she didn't trust herself not to get caught up in the moment with Warren around. It was confusing, way more so than it had ever been with Zach. With him, it had been a question of control. He was chasing her, she was holding the reigns. When he tried to make a move, he was trying to usurp power and leave her dependant on him. That simply wouldn't work. And when she finally thought that he understood she was in charge, she let him think he won a little. Never mind that the relationship had been an epic fail, it had still been pleasantly simplistic if not just a tad manipulative. The way things were now, though, that was something wholly different. It was complex, mystifying; a thousand emotions swirling around at once. And at the same time it was so much more amazing than anything with Zach. The mystery, the confusion… where her relationship with Zach had been a kiddy ride, this was a free-fall drop. The feeling was terrifying, yes, but exhilarating. This mess with Warren and whatever Lash was up to left her breathless and dazed, heart pounding erratically.

She really was starting to feel something for Warren, something she knew she had no right to. But that didn't stop the feelings from being there, and she didn't know what to do. And in a moment of weakness she had nearly gone in for the kill. Holy shit- she had almost _kissed_ Warren Peace! Was she going nuts? She must be, considering the only thing that had stopped her from shoving her tongue halfway down his perfect throat had been a mental image of her mortal enemy. Why had she even been thinking of Lash anyway? It was ridiculous, a complete non sequitur in the context of the situation! Oh yeah, she whipping out the big words, that's how upset and disturbed she was. He was cute n' all, but he was also a major bastard, a major bastard that _bullied_ her and even more so her friends. It was all too confusing. Maybe she would just crawl into a tiny hole and die. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. She shook her head, finding the situation utterly ridiculous.

"Ugh, this is so stupid…" Maj muttered testily under her breath.

"You know," her head whipped around to face the voice behind her, "they say talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear.

Her stance was guarded, "What do you want, Lash?" The boy in question sighed melodramatically, shaking his head as he sauntered up to her, hands deep within his pockets.

"Always so suspicious, doll face," he drawled, "What's up with that?" she glared at him, refusing to answer. She sized him up with her eyes, glaring into his gaze with deadly intensity. He didn't flinch, tilting his head up to stare into the inky black sky.

"It's a real dark night." He sounded deceivingly innocent, not bothering to look back at her.

"I've noticed." Maj spat back acidly, wondering what on Earth this guy wanted with her. He only turned back to face her small figure and raised a brow.

"So whatcha doing out so late on your own? How's a little sidekick gonna take care of herself?" she lowered her stance defensively.

"That wasn't a threat." The girl remained still for a moment before slowly standing back up, reluctantly uneasy. She blinked slowly, thoughtfully. It made no sense for him to be here, watching so calmly, making no offensive action. And yet somehow she found herself wanting to trust him. She mentally cursed her damned teenage hormones that threw off her sense of thinking around any and all cute guys. That was sure gonna come back to bite her in the ass one day. A long silence filled the air.

"Why do you care?" she wondered tentatively, her trademark spunk seeping into her tone. He smirked at her.

"Gettin' you out here would be easy pickins, gotta have a chance to take you out at school. C'mon babe, I'll take you home." He started walking in the direction she'd been headed but stopped when he noticed she was not following. Turning back, he found her glaring distrustfully at his long form, pink lips pulled harshly down. He pretended not to notice.

"Well? You were going this way, weren't you?" he put out an arm in the direction of her house, made no aggressive movement of any kind. Still, she glared steadfastly at him refusing to budge.

The boy waited a few seconds.

"…What?"

"Are you mentally retarded?" she demanded angrily, "You can't just come at me in the dark and suddenly expect me to walk home with you. Letting a super villain know where I live, do I look like an idiot to you? Get lost!"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm takin you home." Magenta crossed her arms stubbornly, sticking her nose in the air like a defiant child. It was undeniably cute, he thought, and he fought the urge to grin.

"No you're not, cuz I'm not going." He closed the distance between them with only a few steps. The petite girl's previous mettle seemed to fall away as he stared down at her, glaring intensely into her eyes.

"You _are_ coming. You're coming if I have to drag you the entire god damn way." It wasn't an empty threat; she knew he'd do it. The intimidation sent a shiver down her spine, but at the same time she sorta liked it. The domineering command seemed kind of sexy, and she could feel the heat of his body so close to hers. It wasn't as warm as Warren had been, but it was still warm.

She remembered Warren. Why hadn't she let him walk her home? She shouldn't have let things get so far. If she had been able to control herself then maybe he'd be with her and she wouldn't have been in this whole mess. Or, conversely, maybe that would have made matters worse and they'd have been at each other's throats. Now instead of cleaning up bloody boys she was stuck alone with a potential villain wondering if she should go with him or not, whether it was safe. Not that she had much choice in the matter, she just felt awfully exposed in the situation. Damn, what she'd give for that comfortable, protected feeling Warren gave her… But she didn't have it, so she'd have to go with the electrifying, dirty feeling she was beginning to associate with Lash.

Magenta paused tentatively for a moment and then began walking slowly past the boy. He smirked triumphantly before following behind her, eyes glued to the perky ass that swayed as she walked. Things were falling into place pretty well for him, and he wondered how long it would be before he got to grab it. He bet the mound had a real nice grip to it and that it was somewhere Glow Boy had never dared to go. He'd be roaming unexplored territories, the thought was sweet. But as nice as the view was, she was wary of him walking behind her so he casually sauntered up beside her significantly smaller form.

"So," he started casually, looking up at the sky and crossing his arms behind his head, "what brings you out on the town?" The shape shifter seemed unwilling to answer, nervous about his motives behind the question. Her mouth formed a tiny 'o' as she considered what to say, and he played around happily with the idea of what part of his body those wonderfully shaped lips would fit perfectly around while in that round position.

"Just went out for a while." She answered noncommittally, her tone nonchalant yet probing. He knew she didn't trust him, but that was okay. It was too early for her to, and he'd make his move when she did. He had a good chance by the end of the night, if he played his cards right.

"Out on your own?" he snorted, "Sounds like a wild night." Her dark eyes glared in response.

"No," she snapped, "I was with Warren. I got bored and we wandered around Chinatown for a while until it got late."

"And then he left you to walk home alone, all the way from Chinatown." He pointed out darkly, "Sounds like a real nice friend you got there. And they say chivalry is dead."

Her tone grew defensive at his sarcasm, "He offered to! I just turned him down."

"Did he insist?" he turned to look at her, arms falling to his sides, but her eyes had drifted the ground. That question had caught her off guard. No, not really… he had asked if she was sure but he hadn't pushed it much, hadn't seemed to care more than to watch her go for a moment. If he cared about her he would have been more worried. She was a damned fool.

Magenta looked hurt, and Lash repeated his question. "Did he insist on walking you home?"

"No." she answered quietly, still not meeting his gaze, "No, he didn't." He shrugged.

"Well see that's a dick move. Lucky for you a real hero was out here." She turned to glare at the insinuation but found she couldn't. A good natured grin had spread across his cute features, and she found herself smiling despite herself. She didn't answer, though.

They wandered in a somewhat comfortable silence, sifting through their thoughts. The winds had picked up a little, making the leaves dance delicately across their paths. Magenta smiled a little at the sight, a little warmed by it. But it didn't warm her enough to keep the shivers from running down her body. It was _ridiculously_ cold.

Lash observed from the corner of his eye and weighed his options. He could ignore it, but that wouldn't win him any brownie points. He could offer her his jacket, but he wanted it. And it would be hard to act suave while shivering. That left the final option, which made him a little sick. It was so disgustingly couple-y. What if someone _saw_! But it didn't seem like he had much of a choice, so the next time he saw her shiver he tossed a long arm across her shoulders. Her head flipped toward him in shock and distrust, soft tendrils of hair dancing around her face. She was damn cute.

"You seemed cold." He offered with a shrug. The girl seemed uncertain, but she didn't remove his arm, which was a good sign. It was all just too easy with these young innocent ones. The rest of the walk continued in amiable chatter, mindless little bits he pushed for her to answer so she'd think he was an ok guy. He mentally played the various scenarios of when Peace would finally find her on his arm and realize he was boning the little pet.

Finally she stopped. "This is my house." Lash smiled down at her, giving her shoulder a tight squeeze.

"Well I'll walk you to the door." Magenta blushed prettily as the two headed up the drive. He seemed so enamored, like he was walking her all the way there because he didn't want to leave her so soon. It was sweet, but she wondered if it was sincere. When they reached her door, she pulled away until only his hand rested on her shoulder and began rifling through her bag for her keys.

"Well, uh, thanks. I guess I'll see-… you?" when she looked back up, her escort was no more than a few inches from her, his breath hot on her face. She backed up. He moved forward. Her back hit the door and he leaned in, eyes flickering to look at her lips before staring half lidded into her own wide ones. His hand slipped to her waist and he moved in closer, bringing his other one to caress her hair and cradle her back. Her whole body felt like a thousand volts were buzzing through her, her heart pounding, and she found herself hoping his hand would slip just a little further down. It seemed perfect in the moment as he leaned in slowly… But Warren's image popped into her head, along with the memories of her night, and she recovered from the strange spell.

"Get the fuck away from me!" she growled, giving his chest a hard shove. Lash hadn't expected that and stumbled back a few steps bemused. No girl had ever denied him before, it was entirely unexpected. His body was already rushing with heat, expecting to be asked in for at least a couch make-out session. But this girl surprised him, and he needed to regroup fast.

"I-I'm sorry…" he tried to sound sincere, forcing himself to blush. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be, he stuttered without meaning to he was so taken aback.

"What did you think you were doing?!" Magenta demanded, eyes blazing at him murderously.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I should have asked before I tried to kiss you. It was inappropriate." The girl looked taken aback. Yeah she'd been upset, but she wouldn't go that far! She looked into his eyes and sighed. He certainly seemed contrite.

"It… It's fine. Thank you for walking me home tonight." She moved to turn away and he nodded.

"Good night." Without warning grabbed her hand, pressed it to his lips, and slipped away. Oh yeah, he was smooth. That one always worked like a charm.

Lash looked back one last time as he walked away and saw that she was watching him leave. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath hitched, and she clutched her keys and bag with white knuckled fists. The boy cursed his luck. It was obvious he'd had her, but something had made her change her mind. He made a mental note to do some digging on what Warren was up to with her. He'd be damned to hell before he lost her to that tool. But hell, at least they were both spending the night with a little right hand shame. Clearly, if she almost let him kiss her, then Warren couldn't have that much of a hold on her, at least not yet. That thought spurred him on, and he walked home making plans for the right way to tackle this particular female… literally.

Magenta was flattered that Lash had been such a gentleman about walking her home. It was the sort of thing that was expected with Zach, but with one of the school's resident bullies? That was something entirely unforeseen. Unfortunately, he couldn't have picked a worse time to start showering her with affection. Tonight had served to do nothing but confuse and frustrate her! Warren and Lash were so different, and something else entirely from Zach. She pondered the three's various discrepancies as she wandered up to her room. Where Warren was intense and serious, Lash was playful and ironic, but without the same saturnine whimsy or facetious idiocy that had personified Zach. She felt safe with both Zach and Warren, she thought while getting undressed for a quick shower, yet she felt more protected with Warren, but neither gave her the electrified feeling of living on the edge that Lash offered. And both lacked the experience that he had in how to treat a woman.

Suddenly she stopped her stripping and her musings, and she looked in the mirror, clad in only her bra and panties. Turning every which way, the girl stepped closer to examine her body. It was nice enough, she supposed. Modest but perky bust, round well-formed but not large rear end, and a decent figure… her face was pretty, she supposed, her features were unusual for sure. It didn't explain why she suddenly seemed to be the hottest thing since sliced bread. Ice Princess had been more classically beautiful, with perfect skin and luscious blond hair, not to mention stronger powers. Warren had already dated someone much prettier than her, not to mention her boobs had been _way_ bigger, like they looked fake bigger. And Lash, he was an older guy who had obviously been around the block his fair share. He had certainly been with girls far more voluptuous than she. What need had he for some freshman, let alone one that had helped put him away so to speak?

For a moment she allowed her mind wander to how the two must kiss. Zach was awkward and fumbling, rarely used his hands and when he did, didn't know where to put them. They often ended up on her shoulders or clenched at his sides. He was alright, she supposed, having had nothing else to compare him to. He was definitely a sweet kisser, the kind who blushed even after they'd been dating for a week, and when she had tried to make-out with him once, he'd chickened out only a minute in and had no longer wanted to. After the initial discomfort, however, he suddenly was trying to pull her aside to do it all the freakin time! That, of course, had pissed her off, so they had never officially made out. That particular thought scared her. What if she wasn't any good because she hadn't had any experience? That probably wasn't such a huge issue with Warren. He and his ex had probably made-out a couple times, but he was secretly a gentle soul at heart. She could see his kisses being intense and warm, gentle yet a little rough, and needing but still dominating her… the kind of kisses you had while cuddled up in front of a fireplace for long, relaxing romp. Lash, on the other hand, struck her as _extremely_ well versed in the ways of romance, and she wondered idly exactly how many girls he had given it to. Probably a lot, after all, he could stretch _any_ part of his anatomy to make it grow. His kisses would be much different, more manipulative. They'd be as playful as he was, letting you believe you were taking the reigns, but secretly you were doing exactly what he wanted you to.

Maj shivered at the dirty thoughts and smiled to herself. The sudden affections were intimidating, and wondering about how they kissed and fucked was all the more overwhelming. Still, it was more than a little flattering to know she just might get to find out. On that note, she finished stripping and wandered over to the bathroom, a confident sway to her hips.

**End of Chapter

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**

R_S: tada!


	13. Endless Flirtation

R_S: A little blurb of a chappy that's been sitting on my computer for the longest time. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 13 **

**Endless Flirtation**

It had been a week since the incident with Lash, where he'd been a perfect– albeit overtly flirtatious and too forward– gentleman. He no longer came around solely for the purpose of tormenting her and her friends, opting instead to blow kisses from across the hall. Magenta responded the same way each time, rolling her eyes while mouthing 'you wish', but she couldn't hide her blushing all the time.

_**Flashback**_

_A quiet sigh escaped Maj's mouth as she stuffed a few of her books into the locker before her. It had been a long day. Pop quiz in Mad Science, a ton of homework assigned in sidekick training, Coach Boomer had made them run laps… she felt a little stress-relief was in order. Perhaps she'd order a pizza for dinner, and then she could curl up in front of the TV with a pint of ice-cream. She nearly licked her lips at the thought- it sounded absolutely divine._

_Grabbing her final notes and shoving them into her pack, she zipped up her book bag. A light gasp escaped her lips as her head shot up; a hand had snapped her locker door shut. A long arm stretched to the male figure only a few steps away. He didn't need to utilize his stretching ability, close enough that his naturally long limbs closed the distance effortlessly. A cocky smirk played on his features as she quirked her brow, shock racing out of her system to leave a vague annoyance in its wake._

"_Can I help you?" she inquired, tone bored._

_He chuckled, throwing his hair out of his eyes, "I don't know, can you?" his eyes slipped over her small figure suggestively, prompting her to roll her eyes and grunt in disgust._

"_Get a life, pervert."_

"_Hey babe, you made the suggestion… I just went along with it."_

"_It wasn't a suggestion, it was merely a question." She really didn't know what it was, but something made her play herself up. Her speech morphed itself to a more formal lull than her usual harsh tongue and cheek. Somehow being herself, the simple shape shifter, didn't seem good enough._

"_An offer…" His persistence irked her, elegance be screwed._

"_No, a question. No more, no less. Now whadda ya want?"_

"_There are a lot of possible answers to that question…"_

"_Lash…" her voice was a dangerous warning, inside praying her blush would not betray the intense feeling of flattery._

"_Jeez, alright. Chill babe."_

"_Why are you bothering me?"_

"_I 'merely' have a 'simple question'."_

"_If you're only her to mock me, than I suggest you leave." The flush deepened with her huff._

"_Only if you leave with me at, oh let's say, 7:00 Friday night."_

"… _What?"_

"_You heard what I said: me, you, seven, Friday. See ya then."_

"_Hold on a minute," she caught his collar as he turned to leave, "I don't remember agreeing to that."_

"_Well I don't remember you disagreeing either."_

"_Then so sorry to disappoint but no."_

"_No?"_

"_No."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because it's never happening!" She was freaking out, guys didn't ask her out. Zach… didn't count. They never happened._

"_Why not?" he was pushy._

"_Because I refuse to go out with you."_

"_How come?"_

"_Because you're you."_

"_So?"_

"_So."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Confused?"_

"_Kinda."_

"_Good." Head held high, she turned on her heel and left, traipsing down the hall with faux confidence._

"… _Are you sure you don't want to go out with me?"_

"_Positive." She paused to call back over her shoulder._

"_Really?"_

"_Really really. Now go away." On that final note, she sauntered off with an evident blush on her face and a shy smile gracing her pink lips. Sure he was kind of an ass, but it was still flattering as hell. And she was pretty sure she could feel his eyes boring holes into her ass._

_**End Flashback**_

Such exchanges continued everyday, becoming habitual to them both. Lash would approach her, throw some pick up lines her way and flirt. Confidently leaning against something, as that seemed to be his favorite position; he'd throw her a crooked smile and a suave compliment. Magenta would flirt back sometimes, but mostly she just downright rejected him. Of course he never got his way, only sometimes tasting the desire as it ghosted across his lips, only to be torn from his mouth as he leaned in to take a bite. Oh yes, she tortured him. She really, truly did. Maj would never admit it, of course, but she had grown to enjoy those exchanges. They were undeniably fun and he was a fairly good flirt, not to mention the incredible ego-stroke.

Though they'd been making brief contact, it wasn't until today that he actually went out of his way to approach her en group. She was sitting with her friends, laughing brightly as Zach wildly recounted some eccentric tale, his arms waving excitedly as he spoke while a bright glowing grin lit up his features. When he entered the cafeteria, no one had really taken any notice. He had sauntered over to their table, regarding their actions lazily, and stopped in front of them. It took a few seconds before any of them even noticed his presence. But it was a problem when they finally did.

"… So then he goes 'what-"

"Zach." Ethan interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"Shut-up."

Maj glanced down at her feet, the floor suddenly becoming a topic of extreme interest, as the group turned to look at the newcomer, distrust evident in all their eyes. He looked innocent enough, holding his lunch tray just like anyone else would and even seemed slightly nervous. Speed appeared behind him with his own tray, expression less than enthusiastic.

The taller of the two sauntered over to Magenta, "Is this seat taken?" She hadn't meant to look up, let alone right into his deep dark pools, but she couldn't help it. Once she did, there was no turning back. He gazed intently into her eyes as he spoke, hypnotizing her into silence. Her mouth was suddenly lined with cotton and her tongue had gone numb, flopping around uselessly as she moved her jaw down, desperate to form some sort of word. No sound came out.

"Yeah," Warren hissed from her side, taking the initiative to reply, "it is."

"By who?" Speed spat back obnoxiously, moving into the chair across from the one in question. Layla tensed slightly beside him, calming only when Will placed his arm around her and gave her shoulder a tight squeeze. Warren remained silent at the older boy's question, occupying himself with a glaring contest against the super-stretcher instead. He won when his opponent looked away, glancing down in order to take his seat. The pyrokinetic took note of the fact that Lash had inconspicuously pulled the chair closer to Magenta's and balled his hands into fists.

Turning to Zach and Ethan, Layla put on a smile. She'd decided to act normal, as if they didn't have any unwanted guests. Perhaps if they felt that they weren't bothering anyone they'd go away and find someone else to torture. Taking a deep breath, she tentatively broke the awkward silence.

"So, what time do you guys have to get to the mad science lab? I heard you were going to help Medulla clean some of the equipment."

Zach nodded, "Yeah, we gotta get down there at-"

"Now. C'mon man, we're gonna be late." Ethan interrupted, standing with his tray. His friend followed in suit. "We'll see you guys later."

"Alright, bye." Various calls farewell were emitted by the group of teens, earning some curious looks from the two newcomers. They'd never been that close with each other, let alone an entire group of people. How did they manage to be so friendly all the time? Theirs was more of a convenient partnership.

Silence once again filled the table. Rolling his eyes, Lash decided to break it. He couldn't help but wonder why they could possibly be so unhappy and discomforted around him. Well, other than the fact that he'd made the most recent past months of their lives a living hell, but that's beside the point here. Honestly, weren't they supposed to be the ones who were all 'good will and grace towards all'? Sappy freaks…

Turning to his right, he popped Magenta the question, "So Maj… wanna go out some time, babe?"

And all hell broke loose.

**End of Chapter**

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R_S: tada!


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